Platypus Review

When I first saw the screenshots for this game, I thought, "Wow, all claymation? This should be interesting." It wasn't until I played it that I began to truly appreciate how much work went into it.

I've played my share of shooters, and this game is very artistic, which is a good thing for video games just behind how a game plays and feels. Backgrounds JUMP out at you, and the ships and landscape have depth - even large ships fly by far in the distance. The claymation idea was amazing, the tunes were space-age and fit the mood of the game, and despite how many lives I was given, I sometimes found it a little challenging to dodge the Contra-esque bullets and enemy ships simultaneously with my little flier. I could imagine that some people would find the music annoying, but I didn't mind it at all. Dual controls may have been an option, but I felt completely comfortable with the mouse and didn't try to use the keyboard.

Like it has been with other shooters I've played, the story seems a bit lacking, but I was only able to play one stage. There was enough in the game otherwise to keep me interested in playing, however, and that's more important. There are enemies abound and there are probably many more in the full version. This game delivers enough challenge and has some pretty nice and useful power-ups: spread shot, machine guns, wave shots, and rocket launchers.

Another thing I can say is to watch out for power lines! Some other objects that run into the foreground can destroy your ship!

I can't say I have any true gripes about this game, and I considered buying it because it seems pretty long. I'd like to see the rest of this designer's artwork for Platypus or a similar game sometime.